I can hardly believe it but in just over two weeks, my baby boy turns 1!  It is exciting but I would be lying if I said that I don’t feel a wee bit sad that he will be graduating from infanthood.  My son is my third child and I don’t have plans to have any more babies so this time around, everything is getting passed on as my son outgrows it.   Bye bye bouncy seat, Johnny Jump Up and Bumbo!  See you later swaddles and soothers.

Getting three babies through infanthood and into toddlerhood is no easy feat!  When I think back to all the baby clothes, gizmos and toys that we have accrued over the past 5 years, it seems borderline absurd!  There have been some things that I would not have wanted to live without and other things that sat in the corner collecting dust or (gasp) never even had tags taken off! 

So how is a new mom to know what baby items are truly worth the expense and which things are not all that practical?  Obviously, what works for each family will be different but there is no substitute for opinions from mothers who have been there and done that so here are my two cents.

Remember that game where you were asked to name three things you would want to have if you were stranded on an island?  Well, along the same lines, here are my three things that I would not want to be stranded without during infanthood (not including the basics such as diapers, binkies, bottles, etc.):

1.         Breast pump – If you are going to nurse your baby and have any freedom at all, you need a good pump.  I would highly recommend springing for a double electric model.  It will not be cheap but you won’t regret it.

2.         Snap in stroller – A stroller that your infant car seat can easily snap into makes life SO much easier during the early days, especially if you have other small children that you need to manage.  It is much easier to hold a child’s hand while pushing a stroller than it is to carry an infant in a car seat and hold a child’s hand. 

3.         Boppy pillow – The Boppy is great for nursing a newborn or laying a baby down so he or she can see or drink a bottle.  The pillow can also be used for tummy time play and is great for strengthening those infant neck muscles.

So there you have it, three things that made my life remarkably easier during the first year with my babies.  I’m not saying it was easy by any means but life would have been more of a challenge if I didn’t have my breast pump, snap in stroller and Boppy pillow.

What three things would you have not wanted to live without during infanthood?